Motor in apparatus for pickling and washing metal plates



1 (No Model.) 3 SheetsSh eet 1.

G. MESTA. MOTOR IN APPARATUS FOR PIOKLING AND WASHING METAL'PLATES.

No. 602,686. Patented Apr. 19,1898.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2-.

G. MESTA. MOTOR IN APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING AND WASHI-NQMBTAL PLATES.

Patented Apr. 19, 18968.-

INVENTOR WITNESSES I if 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A G. MESTA. Y MOTOR IN APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING AND WA$HING METAL PLATES.

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GEORGE MESTA, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOTOR IN APPARATUS FOR PICKLING AND WASHING METAL PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,686, dated April 19, 1898.

Application filed June 8,1894. Serial No. 513,913. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE MEsTA, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motors in Apparatus for Pickling and Washing Metal Plates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved pickling and washing apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of the valve mechanism. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the plunger-rod.

My invention relates to motors for machines employed for pickling and washing metal plates, and is designed to improve the valve mechanism of such machines and prevent any possibility of imperfect action and sticking thereof, to avoid pounding of the piston against the stops or cylinder-head, and to provide means for automatically starting the short stroke of the plunger as soon as the crates are lowered into the vats, for changing to the long stroke without any connecting or disconnecting of the parts, and for regulating the length of stroke according to the width of plates being operated upon without stopping the machine.

It also consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 2 represents the vertical single-acting cylinder of the machine, having therein the piston or plunger 3, to whose upper end is secured the spider 4, having two or more arms, as desired.

5 are the usual crates, and 6 the pickling and washing vats, within which the crates are actuated.

Upon the upper end of the plunger is carried a collar 7, to which is secured the downwardly extending plunger rod 8, passing through guides 9 and carrying the tappet 10, which actuates the arm 11 of a bell-crank lever pivoted to a stationary bracket at the point 12. As shown more clearly in Fig. 5,

the tappet is adjustably held upon the plunger-rod by set-screws 13, bearing upon the key 14, and is provided with a lug or projection 15, forming a downwardly-opening inverted-V-shaped slot, within which is pivoted a roller 16, which bears and rolls upon the handle-arm of the lever. This arm is held against the roller 16 by an adjustable weight 17, secured to an extension 18 of the arm, while the other arm 19 of the lever is connected to a sliding collar 20 by a pivoted link 21. The collar 20 slides upon a valve-rod 22 and is limited in its movement thereon by the adjustable tappets 23, this rod carrying a slidevalve 24 within a valvechest 25, through which the rod extends. The chest 25 is a small supplemental chest secured upon the main valve chest or cylinder 26, with which it communicates by the two series of ports 27 and 28, 27 being the admission and 28 the exhaust ports. These ports are controlled by the valve 24, which is of the double-D class, and alternately connects one end of the valve-cylinder 26 with the inlet and the other with the exhaust port to actuate the piston or plunger valve 29. This valve is provided with two annular ports 30 and 31, adapted to connect alternately with the bridged port 32, leading from the central portion of the cylinder 26 to the actuating-cylinder 2. The port 31 is in constant communication with a livesteam inlet 33, while into the other in all positions opens the exhaust-outlet 34, Fig. 3. The exhaust-chamber 35, between the ports 28, connects with the outlet 34 by the branch passage 36, Fig. 4. One'end of the valve 29 is provided with a projecting rod 37, by which the valve, which is perfectly balanced, may be tested by hand before starting the machine.

The valve action is as follows: The parts being in the position of Fig. 2, the live steam passing from the chest 25 through the port 27 holds the piston 29, with its port 31, in communication with the inlet 32. The plunger 3 then rises until the collar 20 strikes the righthand tappet 23, when the weight 17, overcoming the friction of the valve 24, throws it to the right, thus closing the right-hand and opening the left-hand inlet-port. The plunger-valve 29 is thereby driven to the right, and the steam in its cylinder exhausts through the right-hand port 28 until the end of the plunger covers it, when the small amount of steam imprisoned in the cylinder cushions the stroke and prevents the valve from striking the cylinder-head. In the meantime the port 30 has been put in communication with the maincylinder port 32, and the steam within the actuating-cylinder exhausting therethrough the plunger falls by gravity, forcing down the lever 11 until the collar 20 strikes the lefthand tappet 23, when the slide-valve is thrown to the left and the cycle of movements is repeated.

WVhen it is desired to raise the crates out of the vats, the handle-lever 11 is held down against the action of the weight. being thereby held in communication with the port 32, the plunger 3 rises the entire length of the cylinder and is held until the handle is released, when the weight 17 actuates the valves 2 L and 29 and the plunger descends until the tappet upon the plunger-rod engages the lever 11, when the short strokes'a-re again automatically started.

To prevent pounding of the upper head of the actuating-cylinder 2, I provide at its upper end the bypass pipe 38, which is of slightly greater length than the plunger-head 3 and admits a small amount of steam above the plunger-head to cushion the same. To exhaust this cushioning-steam, I provide in the cylinder, about midway of the length of the by-pass pipe, an exit-pipe 39, through which such steam exhausts into the air.

To drain off any water collecting above the plunger-head, I em ploya valved pipe 40-, leading from the pipe 39 into the cylinder just above the plunger-head when in its lowermost position, the cylinder draining therethrough when the valve is opened.

WVith the ports 33 and 3i connect, respectively, the inlet and exhaust pipes 41 and 42. The inlet-pipe 41 is provided at its bend with the three-way cook 43, so that when the machine is stopped communication may be opened between the pipes ll and 42, all moisture draining off through the exhaust 42.

To regulate the drop of the plunger and prevent its pounding the lower cylinder-head, I provide a throttle-valve 44 in the exhaustpipe, by which the velocity of the exhaust may be nicely regulated and the speed of descent of the plunger altered as desired. This feature is an important one in all machines of this class, and I intend to claim it independent of the particular valve, &c., shown.

The port 31 The advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As soon as the plunger lowers from its long stroke,

the short stroke is begun automatically, while the long stroke may be taken at any time without any connecting or disconnecting of the parts by merely holding down the lever-handle. The inlet-valve cannot stick in one position, as it is positively actuatedby steam admitted by a second valve, and being perfectly balanced is easily actuated. The length of stroke is easily changed by adj ustment of thetappets, the valve and actuating cylinders are both cushioned and injury to the cylinders prevented, and the entire machine is simple, easily actuated, and not liable to get out of order.

The valve mechanism may be used in other connections, and a spring may replace the counterbalancing-weight, and many other changes may be made by the skilled mechanic in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from my invention, since What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a cylinder containing a plunger, of a plunger-rod having a tappet, a lever contacting with said tappet and connected to the valve controlling the admission of fluid to the cylinder, and a weight arranged to move the valve in one direction; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a cylinder containing a plunger or piston, of a tappet-rod connected to and moving therewith, a connterweighted lever having an arm bearing against the tappet, a valve having a valverod provided with tappets, and a sliding sleeve upon said rod connected to the lever; substantially as described.

3. A cylinder containing unobstructed cylindrical valve having annular ports, one of said ports being in constant communication with a fluid-supply, a port leading from the cylinder to a motive cylinder and ports leading to either end of the cylinder and communicating with another fluid-supply, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE MESTA.

Vitnesses:

WV. B. OoRwIN, H. M. OoRWIN. 

